3 Soo Eagles staff members resign

Tuesday

Oct 6, 2009 at 12:01 AMOct 6, 2009 at 6:16 AM

Three coaches/administrators parted ways with the Soo Eagles Junior A hockey team last week.

Rob Roos

Three coaches/administrators parted ways with the Soo Eagles Junior A hockey team last week.
General manager/assistant coach Dave Guisbert, director of hockey operations/assistant coach Michael Carr and director of player development Charly Murray resigned their positions with the team at a board meeting Wednesday night. All were volunteers with the second-year non-profit organization.
The resignations came following a dispute with Eagles head coach Paul Theriault over the handling of team finances. Guisbert, who had also served as the Eagles business manager the past 10 months, said the main issue of contention was the unauthorized use of a team debit card by Theriault.
Guisbert said he presented bank statements to the board, and asked for Theriault to step down as head coach, or for a vote from the board on the possible dismissal of Theriault. After no action was taken by the board, Guisbert, Carr and Murray resigned and left the meeting.
Guisbert claims Theriault used a team debit card for many personal expenses last fall, and later used a debit card after the team turned to non-profit status.
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After Theriault’s debit card was cancelled last winter, he acquired a new one on the team account this summer, without board authorization.
“I’m sick to my stomach over all of this,” Guisbert said. “I said either he has to go or I have to go. I couldn’t be part of it any longer.
“The paper trail is all documented and the board has a copy of the statements.”
Theriault, now in his second year as Eagles coach, did not refute that he used a team debit card for personal charges.
“We’ve gone through some growing pains in our first year,” said Theriault, who has coached in the OHL, NHL and around the world. “We’ve made some mistakes, but they have been honest mistakes.
“Starting up a new team was a learning process for all of us,” Theriault said. “We were learning a lot as we went along. Now that we are in our second season, we understand how to operate better. We are solvent and the team is doing well.”
With the trio of resignations, Theriault and assistant Dennis Bolton remain to guide the Eagles, who are currently 4-1 in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). Theriault and Bolton described the issues with their former assistants as “philosophical differences.”
“They are all hard-working guys who did a good job while they were here,” Theriault said. “I don’t have any issues with any of them. They chose to resign, and we have to move on.”
Said Bolton: “We’re disappointed to lose them. We know how much work all of those guys have put into the team and they will all be missed. While they are gone, the team’s in great shape and here to stay.”
According to Guisbert, Theriault’s personal expenditures were the difference between the team showing a $24,000 profit for the 2008-09 season, to the team’s resulting deficit of $6,000. A 2008 tax return for the Eagles team still has not been filed, and the organization continues to incur fines for it. As of Sept. 1, all of last season’s bills were paid, however.
The Eagles are in their second year of operation in the NOJHL. Sault native Greg Eagle, now a real estate mogul in Florida, financed the team and was originally the principal owner. However, after Dec. 8 of 2008, the Eagles became a non-profit organization and have not received further funding from Greg Eagle.
Theriault said he had agreements with Greg Eagle on how finances would be handled. Guisbert says he didn’t have any disputes over Theriault’s debit card expenditures while the team was owned by Greg Eagle. But Theriault’s personal expenses charged to the team without board approval is in violation of the non-profit articles of incorporation.
“Whatever was spent before Dec. 8 is between Paul and (former owner) Mr. Eagle, so I don’t dispute that,” Guisbert said. “After Dec. 8, there shouldn’t be any doubt that Paul didn’t have the right to use that debit card.
“I really do feel bad about all of this,” Guisbert said. “I put a lot into this team, and I just want to set the record straight about why I’m leaving.”
Carr, who had also been in charge of the team’s off-ice training, said his decision to leave came down to a lack of team leadership.
“I’ve always believed in doing the right thing,” Carr said. “I can’t be part of an organization that does not have a commitment to honesty and integrity.”
Guisbert, Carr and Murray were all members of the Eagles’ board of directors. Theriault said the Eagles are in the process of restructing and will most likely announce the new board of directors at this Wednesday’s meeting. Proposed members of the new board include Paul and Janice Theriault, Ken Murphy, Bob Eagle, James Lambros, Mike Lynn, Shirley Farnquist, Bill Crawford, Judd Howson and Dr. Rob Mackie.